Manhunt over, victims’ families now look for justice

by ryan severance
the pueblo chieftain

Published: December 29, 2013;Last modified: December 30, 2013 09:51AM

The capture of fugitive Harry Mapps brought a sense of clarity to the families of Kim and Reginald Tuttle and Dawn Roderick, the three he is accused of shooting and killing at their Rye home on Nov. 27 before setting it on fire.

“It’s a big relief for all of us,” Toby Barnes, Reginald and Kim Tuttle’s son and Dawn Roderick’s brother, said.

Barnes said he was at his house watching a movie with his wife, children and Dawn’s husband, Mark Roderick, and his three children when he was informed of Mapps’ capture.

“We got the call at about 10:30 p.m. from a detective from the sheriff’s office,” Barnes said. “It really just came out of the blue to us. We hadn’t been tipped off that this might be something that was coming. They just told us he was captured and wouldn’t say where. It was a big relief.”

Mark Roderick said he couldn’t believe the news at first.

“I just kept saying, ‘Are you serious? Are you serious?’ ’’ he said. “We all sat down and were in disbelief. It released a lot of pressure and worry off of us. The disbelief is gone now.”

Roderick said whenever Mapps is brought back to Pueblo and faces trial, he will make sure he’s at every court date.

“I will be there, you can be sure,” he said. “Now I get to finally find out why he did what he did. I get to hear him say why he took the mother of my kids . . . Why he felt like taking the life of my children, why he took my wife away from me. I just want to know why.”

“I don’t think he’ll be able to justify what he did,” he said. “Only time will bring closure to this. It may become easier day by day, but I don’t think it will ever be closed.”

Mapps being in custody will help Barnes sleep better at night.

“I know some of us weren’t sleeping much because of fear,” he said. “Now that he’s captured, we don’t have to worry. Now we just want to see him convicted and brought to justice. He’s destroyed the lives of all of us.”